Thanks AChip --- I figure anything under two years on this project will qualify for "miracle" status. This old gal deserves decent treatment and given her excellent condition, she should still be going strong long after I am gone. Long live Art Deco!

Made the run out to Diesel Specialists yesterday for the first look at my FleaBay engine assembled and running. It was the old "We got good news...& we got bad news" story.

Bad news first.

The turbo is toast. Ain't no "cheap fix". Then there is the exhaust manifold...rusted away to junk and has to go (not much of a surprise since it looked that way) . Next...the idler pulley needs replacing, then there is the fuel pump solenoid that still needs testing and a few other items to go on the shopping list.

So, the good news?

The basic engine (the really expensive stuff) appears very tight and solid. Zero blow-by, no smoke and tight compression. All in all, not too bad a day.

I want to get the engine & tranny as bullet proof as possible before the install. Example: New main seals are a piece of cake (and cheap) sitting on a work stand...but a real PITA (and $$$) after it's in. I'm in no rush to get it rolling as I have the entire bus to rebuild before launching anyway.

Just added some progress pix to my Flickr album. Tore out the lower interior sheet metal and will replace it with new + insulation...been welding up a couple of hundred old screw holes in the floor and building the new entry door frame. A couple of very small angles are complicating that process. It wasn't until I was fitting some 1-1/2" square tube in place that I even noticed the angles.

Still moving ahead (slowly). Gotta' do the work that pays for the fun stuff. Have sourced a variety of items including a big ol' aluminum fuel tank, a holding tank, giant chromed brass hinges for the door, replacement body spacers, new body sheet metal panels and some other odds 'n ends. Below is a pic of one of the vintage turn signals I just got off Ebay. Way better than the aftermarket plastic hockey pucks it came with.